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Pot activist to visit city

Dana Larsen is coming to Campbell River to promote the Sensible BC decriminalization campaign.

Larsen, former candidate for the leadership of the BC NDP, is promoting the Sensible Policing Act, which would effectively decriminalize cannabis possession in the province.

Larsen will be speaking in Campbell River on Monday, Jan. 21, from 7-8:30 p.m., at the downtown Community Centre.

“The Sensible Policing Act directs all police in BC to stop spending any time or resources on searching, seizing or arresting anyone for simple cannabis possession,” said Larsen, who works as director of the Vancouver Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary. “The lawyers at Elections BC have confirmed that this legislation is within provincial jurisdiction and suitable for a referendum.”

Larsen is leading the Sensible BC campaign to have a referendum on the Sensible Policing Act, putting volunteers in place to collect the official signatures needed from September to November of 2013. He’s been on tour to over three dozen cities and towns across BC since October last year.

“There’s no reason we cannot decriminalize possession in our province,” he said. “In 2003, BC joined seven other provinces in refusing to enforce the Long Gun Registry.

“At that time, Attorneys General said they didn’t want to bother with otherwise law-abiding citizens who were in possession of an unregistered long gun. We’re asking for the same sensible perspective when it comes to people in possession of cannabis.”

The recent votes to legalize cannabis in the U.S. states of Washington and Colorado has given the Sensible BC campaign a solid boost.

“Across Washington, thousands of charges for simple possession are being dropped,” explained Larsen, “saving taxpayers millions of dollars while also unclogging the justice system. Yet here in BC we’re seeing possession charges skyrocket. If trends continue, 2013 will be another record-breaking year, with over 4,000 pot possession charges being laid across BC. It’s time for a more sensible approach.”

To learn more, visit www.SensibleBC.ca

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